From the trials, proctor and others were judged. It is evident that the rumors of witchcraft were started up as a way to take revenge and maintain power. Abigail for one only named Elizabeth as a witch because she had an affair with Proctor and in naming the wife she hoped that Elizabeth would be executed and in that case, she would have Proctor to herself. The reason why Elizabeth fired Abigail in the first place is because of the affair, and so this was revenge for her. As Proctor goes to court to fight for the release of her wife, the court accuses him of not honoring the church and implying that he may be part of the witchcraft saga. In Salem witchcraft is portrayed to be a very grave sin. Therefore not attending church regularly or ploughing
Because Abigail had blamed Elizabeth for witchcraft, John Proctor had become very furious with Abigail and the way she was pretending and blaming innocent people for witchcraft. John went into the court and tried hard to fight to protect his wife Elizabeth. He had even admitted to having loved Abigail befor, giving away his own dignity. He spoke the truth and was doing really well in court until another grudge had made everything go wrong. This was the grudge that was created back at his farm between he and Mary Warren.
Since this his wife Elizabeth Proctor has forgiving him and no one else knows about the situation because he doesn't want to ruin his good name. Soon after the Witch Trials started, Abigail accused his wife of witch craft and the people came and got Elizabeth and took her captive. John Proctor was not happy about it at all. He knew his wife was innocent so he went down to the church and told them she was and that she wouldn't lie. In this he said that he had an affair with his servant and so the judge said I'll ask her if you did, if she says yes she's free if she says no she a witch.
When John Hale came up to find the truth, Abigail, and other girls start to accuse they neighbors in witchcraft. One of them was Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctors wife. Abigail accused her because Elizabeth fired her when she finds out that John and Abigail
Abigail William’s wanted a married man and she was willing to frame his wife of Witchcraft so that she and Proctor could be together. Abigail wanted Proctor so bad that she stuck herself with a needle and acted like Elizabeth Proctor’s spirit had done it to her. “: The girl, the Williams girl, Abigail Williams, sir. She sat to dinner in Reverend Parris’s house tonight, and without word nor warnin’ she falls to the floor. Like a struck beast, he says,
Abigail Williams out of jealousy and hatred targeted Elizabeth Proctor,because. She slept with Elizabeth's husband John Proctor but she fell in love and John didn't. He was still in love with his wife and they ended up fixing things. So she wanted to get rid of Elizabeth
Guilty or Proven Innocent? The Salem witch trials occurred from February 1692 to May 1693 in Salem, Massachusetts. During the Salem witch trials no single person or family was safe from persecution. Once accused of witchcraft you were incarcerated and appeared at a hearing in the courts.
John Proctor was noble farmer, thrown in jail over accusations of witchcraft and held the importance of his name over his life. Proctor was not as noble as he was conceived to be by the other people in Salem because he had previously committed adultery with a young girl named Abigail Williams. Abigail’s love for Proctor pioneered the development of the witch trials seeing that she practiced witchcraft only to kill Proctor’s wife and then began accusing others to save herself. Proctor saw through her manipulative lies and stood against her accusations to right his wrong and stop Abigail. His dignity led to his demise once given the option to admit to witchcraft, and live without his good name or be hanged, Proctor chose death.
Arthur Miller’s portrayal of a town in the midst of a downfall “The Crucible”, tells the story of how mob mentality and hysteria can significantly influence not only individuals but the whole town. This mob mentality leads to unthoughtful acts and false accusations. Two characters who demonstrate how mob mentality can lead to the demise of Salem are Abigail and Mary Warren. As Abigail begins to be accused she is pressured to deter from the truth. While Mary Warren gets pressured by Proctor to reveal the truth about Abigail, but the overwhelming pressure from the mob makes her turn from the truth.
Since the beginning of time people have gone through trials in court to either be proven innocent or guilty. In the Crucible by Arthur Miller a massive number of people were being convicted in Salem, Massachusetts because of the witch trials. The law of the land states that everyone is above suspicion until they are demonstrated to be guilty by legitimate evidence; in the play the Crucible if a person was accused of an unlawful act they were summons for being a witch and working for the devil without proper confirmation. Citizens in Salem were imposed to establish their innocent or be put to death, which caused conflicting issues in the village.
Abigail Williams calls Elizabeth’s name in court accusing her of witchcraft: “she (Abigail) wants me dead, john, you know it” Elizabeth said. Abigail started this hysteria hoping to kill Elizabeth so she could have her husband. By looking at The Crucible by Arthur Miller, one can see how the people were being accused of witchcraft in Salem, which is important because it all started upon John’s adultery with Abigail Williams and ended up causing innocent people to die. Protecting her reputation motivates Abigail Williams to accuse people of being witches.
Abigail and a group of girls went to court and blame 200 people. Abigail went to court, and told them that Elizabeth Proctor was practicing witchcraft, and got her arrested. When John Proctor went to court, the girls pretended that he was the devil. Giles tries to explain to the court how Abigail is pure evil, and trying to get revenge: “Aye, how she is solemn and goes to hang people!” (3.1.875).
Abigail believed that Proctor actually loved her and she waited every night for him. She was brainwashed to think he would leave his wife for her. The witchcraft accusation came from the beginning of the story when Abigail and the girls were dancing naked in the woods and chanting. She made false accusations that people in the village were worshipping the devil to cover what she had done. Many lives were taken but Abigail had no empathy for anyone who was hanged.
She accuses Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft, hoping to eliminate her romantic rival and protect her own reputation as a respectful young woman. In act I, line 203, Abigail explains to John “She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, sniveling woman, and you bend to her (p.578). Abigail explains to John that Elizabeth is a bad woman, but all Abigail is doing is ruining her reputation when lying about her name in the village.
Abigail Williams accused John Proctor of participating in witchcraft. Seven months earlier Proctor had an affair with Abigail who worked as his maid. When John’s wife Elizabeth Proctor found out, she fired Abigail immediately. This left Elizabeth feeling doubtful of John.
Hysteria can be defined as the exaggerated or uncontrollable emotion or excitement, especially among a group of people. This definition proves true and exists throughout the course of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. In The Crucible, a group of girls go dancing in a forest around a cauldron, some even naked, and along with a black slave named Tituba. Reverend Parris, the local minister, then catches the girls in the act. As a result, Betty, one of the girls and Parris’s daughter, goes into what it seems like a coma.